Apollo |
12th August 2002 - 13th January 2005 |
Apollo was a wonderful bunny, despite his size he was never laid back and calm like most Giants, but cheerful and lively like a baby bunny! He loved life, he loved his partner Charlie and he loved food! Despite serious dental problems, which needed sorting out at the vets every few months, he was never depressed or grumpy about it and just got on with it! You are missed Apollo and you will always be alive in my heart! Until we meet again! |
In the winter of 2002 I started looking for a partner for my lionhead girl Charlie. I contacted Emma from Furry Friends Animal Rescue and enquired about any bunnies available for adoption. She told me about two of a litter of British Giants. Because they were white they found it a little harder to find homes than their litter brothers and sisters. I always wanted a giant rabbit and agreed to have a look at one of them, the boy. When we arrived, Emma showed me this funny looking baby rabbit - he had a long face, and even longer body and huge ears. He looked a bit like a cross between a rabbit and a ferret! But he was adorable and he came home with us! We called him Apollo. He was very affectionate and friendly and it didn't take long for Charlie and him becoming best friends. |
Apollo grew up into a beautiful, very handsome boy! He was a big bunny, although small for his breed at 4.8 kg. |
At just over one year old, Apollo started developping dental problems. The back of his jaw was uneven which resulted in uneven wear of his molars. So he had to have a couple extracted (as they were lose) and have them burred down ever three months or so. He always had trouble with the anaesthetics, but other than that, took it all very well! Apart from this dental troubles, he was a healthy and fit bunny, used to run around like a baby bunny... quite a sight with such a big rabbit. He was unique in many ways! |
But suddenly things were going to change: on 12th January 2005, Apollo did not eat and looked very unhappy and unwell. We went straight to the vet and here is what happened (as posted to the Tufty Forum): APOLLO IS NOT WELL AT ALL... 12 January 2005 at 07.37 When I went to feed the bunnies this morning, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Apollo wasn't going mad when I fed Benji and Pippa. Normally he starts running aroundmaking Charlie run too... very impatient to get his food. But this morning, nothing. When I put the food in, he just stayed in his litter box looking very sorry for himself, eyes almost fully closed. I picked him up and he is very floppy - very unusual as he does not like being picked up at all. He has been sitting in his litter box for the last half hour, sometimes changng positions, but looking uncomfortable. So I have e-mailed into work that I will be in late and Apollo and OH and I are off the the vets' at 8 am to find out what is wrong... 12 January 2005 at 10:10 My vet checked him over, teeth are fine (which is a relief), first part of guts ok, but second part static... Also his spleen is enlarged which is normally a sign of an infection... Apollo got three injections to help and I have to bring him back for more injections this evening. He still refuses to eat and he would not let me massage his tummy at all. I am now at work, worried sick, but there wasn't anything else I could do for him other than wait to let the medication work. OH is at home keeping an eye on him. I'll keep you updated. 12 January 2005 at 12:17 (As an answer to someone else's poste:)To be honest, I do not use Critical Care as my bunny Toby died despite using it. Whereas every time I mushed wetted pellets and finely found hay into a paste and fed that, it worked... Probably plain coincidence, but that's made me careful... So that's what I will be doing as soon as I get home this afternoon if Apollo is not eating yet. No, my vet didn't suggest syringe feeding him, but then he lets me deal with these things anyway as he knows me very well and he lets me judge. I'd love to be home with Apollo and be there with him every minute now, but unfortunately this is just not possible... I had to go to work... I don't have a choice... (I was already in late and will hopfully be able to leave early). This is what I absolutely hate about being a "working mum"! I just hope he is going to be brighter when I get home, or at least not worse. 12 January 2005 at 13:45 I have just been allowed to go home at 3pm, which means I will be back with Apollo at 340 pm... time is just not going quick enough! 12 January 2005 at 21:08 I got home at 4 pm, Apollo's condition had not changed. I made up a mixture of soaked pellets, finely chopped hay and pro-biotics. At first Apollo was very keen to eat it, but after a few short seconds, he stopped again and was not convinced otherwise. He went into a panic and then went completely floppy. So I stopped as I did not want him to get to this level of stress. I tried to gently massage his tummy, but again he wouldn't let me. At 6 pm we saw our vet. He said that the spleen was quite large and he looked worried. He gave him another shot of motility drugs. I asked him about a pain killer. He said that they are not really supposed to give steroids (which Apollo had in the morning) together with pain killers. He said though if it was his bunny, he would still do it. So I told him to go ahead with it. That way I had at least a fighting chance to syringe feed Apollo and massage him. About an hour ago, I tried to syringe feed him again. He didn't struggle much this time, but although he let me put the stuff in his mouth, he woudl not swollow it at all. So I am not sure hoe much I actually got into him. On the other hand though, he let me massage him now as he was not in pain anymore. He loved that and completely relaxed. In another hour's time I will syringe feed him again and give him a good long gentle massage. I hope so much that he will get through this! But I think he is fighting well, so I am quietly confident that he will make it. But it is so distressing to see him like this! 12 January 2005 at 21:41 (Quote from other Tufty Member: But Marty bounced back in 24 hours and I'm sure your lovely big boy will do the same.) I so hope so! At least he is at the moment not getting worse which is something I guess. Soon time again for another feed for him. 12 January 2005 at 22:33 Some good news at alst: I have just syrine fed him and it is the first time that he actually ate most of it! He seemed quite keen at times as well! Then he got 15 minutes of tummy massage which again he enjoyed. Next feed around midnight... 13 January 2005 at 09:43 Went to the vet again this morning. Apollo's guts feel better, obviously the pain is gone (he had pain killers last night) and also there is much less gas in the intestines. However, he is still not tempted by any foods and looks still very ill. He has not turned the corner yet. He does enjoy the massages and really cuddles into me then. Back to the vet's tonight... 13 January 2005 at 18:42 Apollo has deteriorated drastically and is now on a drip and heat pads at the vets. Various tests have been made, blood/x-rays/scan... He has an impacted stomach, lots of gas in the intestines, but most worryingly he is extremly aneamic! He is very close to the danger levels. My vet is desperately trying to get him to produce more red blood cells. He looked for any injuries, internal bleeding, but can't see anything. He thinks that possibly the spleen may be distroying red blood cells... Please pray for Apollo! We don't know whether he is going to make it through the night, my vet is very concerned and is frantically looking for best ways to help him. Here is my boy just a couple of days ago: |
13 January 2005 at 19:58 I know a vet that is very rabbit savvy and I asked my vet, Paul, whether he would be prepared to talk to him. Paul was more than happy to do that. Result: the treatment so far was spot on, the question is what are we going to do next. Adrian (rabbit savvy vet) said from experience te anemia is not going to get better with medication as long as the stomach is impacted. On the other hand, the anemia makes the anaesthetics to remove the impaction physically very risky. So it is a vicious circle. Paul said that Apollo was getting quite frantic and that he would not want to leave him like this though the night. So we had two options: we either continue to medicate and support him as best we can, but he has not chance of making it! So this option was really only a put to sleep option to prevent suffering with an unavoidable outcome. The second option is to operate. Apollo has little chance of surviving the anaesthetics, bu there is at least a small chance that he might just make it. Even if he makes it, chances are that fate will catch up with him a little white/a few days after the op. But again, there is a slim chance that he will make it. So Paul and I decided that we are going to try and give him this chance, fully aware that it is a very small chance! My last words to Paul were: Good luck! And now I am just praying! 13 January 2005 at 21:33 Apollo had the operation tonight (as I wrote the last message), but unfortunately I ave bad news. He went to sleep forever just as everything was over and Paul was stitching him up...! I got the call about 20 mnutes ago! When Paul opened him up, he found something very strange: a lump/tumour attached to the liver. What both my vets thought they felt and what Paul thought he saw on the x-rays, was not actually an enlarged spleen - the spleen was perfectly fine - but this growth/lump. Paul doesn't know what it is, it is twisted and it was full of blood - so that's were all the blood went and that's why Apollo was aneamic! The growth is being sent to the lab to find out what exactely it is! Paul said that Apollo was doing really well through the operatoin, he was really pleased at how he coped... but he suddenly went when he started stitching him up! At least he went in his sleep and no in pain! I can't really say more right now, I feel so empty! Apollo was a very special bunny! Everyone loved him! I will see him in a short while when we go and pick up Charlie (which went with Apollo as company). I need to say goodbye to him. I will have him cremated and will spread his ashes somewhere where he would have loved it! Sleep tight my boy - and I know you will keep visiting here! You will be so missed. 13 January 2005 at 22:59 Charlie is home. Hubby, my friend (who knew Apollo) and myself went to say goodbye to Apollo. He looked so peaceful - and so big :-) Even in his death and all the sadness, he managed to put a smile on our faces! He really was a bunny in a million. Paul said that they didn't find at all what they expected. Normally an impacted stomach is in bad condition, ulcertated etc. But Apollo's stomach was in excellent condition, nothing wrong with it at all... I take that as a compliment and as a confirmation that it wasn't anything that I have done wrong. Paul is quite sure that what he found is a tumour... we will know for definite next week when the lab results come back. Now I just hope that Charlie is going to be ok. She always gets stressed with travelling, so can't really tell her state of mind until she settles down a bit! We let her say goodbye to Apollo as well, hopefully that will help her a bit too. Emma, thanks for letting me have Apollo. Eventhough I wish we could have had more time together (he was only 2 years and 5 months old yetserday and I adopted him just over two years ago), I cherish every minute I had with him. 15 January 2005 at 11:21 (After many postings on Tufty Forum): Thanks everyone for your very kind words, it really does help to know that there are people out there that understand (although I am lucky as all my friends are animal people and fully understand what I am going through as well). I still feel very numb, empty almost, it hasn't sunk in yet that Apollo is goine and wont' come back. I guess it is going to get easier and more real once we have the results from the lab and once I have got his ashes back! I miss him terribly. Thankfully Charlie is doing fine. We let her say goodbye to him as well before we brought her back home. So maybe that has helped her to understand that he is gone. She is eating and drinking and behaving fine. This gives me the time to wait with getting another mate for her until I am ready... I guess having llt ehother bunnies around her also helps, eventhough she is not bonded with them. APOLLO - UPDATE 19 January 2005 at 10:12 When I brought in Buzz (and Magic for VHD jab) today, my vet had the results of Apollo's lump back. It turns out that it is part of the liver that twisted round and got cut off from the normal liver part... Something which my vet has never seen before (and in a text book the guy had only seen it once before), so it is something fairly rare. They also found that there was a chronic liver problem there as well... 19 January 2005 at 12:03 (After a Tufty member asked the question): No, they don't know the cause, it's just one of these freak things that happen sometimes... (END of threads) And here are some more pictures of my boy: |
Apollo and Charlie |
